Women's Volleyball Medal Games

Unfortunately since I work at night, I wasn't able to see the Chinese women's team beat Cuba 3-1 for the Bronze medal this morning. However, reading flash quotes and press conference highlights that my colleagues have collected, I realize that I missed out on something special.

Cheng Zhonghe, the head coach of the Chinese team is usually a mild-mannered guy, someone who rarely ever shows emotion win or loss was reported to have been sobbing uncontrollably after China won the match.

When asked why he was crying, he was quoted to have said:

"It was such a tough game. Many of our players have injries, especially the old players. They have experienced a lot of setbacks. Unfortunately we didn't realise my goal - to get into the final. But I know that it's really not easy for the players, so I'm very proud of them."

It just shows how special these games actually are. When a team can still be excited and giddy about winning a Bronze medal, after being the previous Gold medal team, you know how much it means to these athletes and coaches.

The USA women played valiantly against Brazil tonight, but they lost 3-1. Brazil has been especially impressive as they haven't dropped a single set comming into this match. So as a consolation prize, the US women are the first team to win a set against Brazil. Even with the silver medal, I believe the team surpassed their expectations and while they aren't Gold medalists, I still think they're quite satisfied with their result.

Second to last day

Tomorrow will be the final time I put on the blue Adidas volunteer uniform that can be seen quite readily everywhere. It will definitely be a bittersweet moment, as this entire experience could quite possibly be the wildest thing I've ever done. It's been nearly three months since I've been home (had a foot on US soil), and I think I'm finally starting to feel homesick. This in no way takes away from anything that has happened in my time in Beijing.

I've been a part of something so special, so unique and so exhilarating, that while I do feel this urge to finally return home, a very large part of me wishes I could continue working.

I remember the first few days, where as a whole us Purdue students bonded through four hour long bus rides to the Great Wall and sewage treatment plants. The next few weeks included excursions to different places of interest in Beijing, which included a lot of bar searching and hazy taxi rides back to the CUC. When work finally started, I was with nine other classmates learning about the differences between the sprint, keirin and madison events of cycling track. I remember wanting to try my best as we feverishly jotted down quotes and prepared intelligent questions to ask the athletes.

I still recall the confusion that came with being switched out of cycling to volleyball. The disappointment of not being with my friends, but the excitement of working at a new venue with a new sport. I remember my first interview with an Olympian, a twenty-five year old Egyptian setter who was practically just as excited as I was for the games.

I remember sitting in my bed watching the opening ceremony, with my mouth gaping with awe as somehow thousands of performers managed to move in-sync to create some of the most visually impressive sights ever.

I remember arriving back at the dorm at two or three in the morning everyday due to the working the night shift. I remember the craziness of the crowd when the Chinese teams introduced prior to every match.

Tomorrow will be the the gold medal game for the USA women, and it'll be the last day for me to create some final memories.

USA JIA YOU! 中国加油！

When I finally decided to spend some money on some Olympic memorabilia, I realized shopping isn't that easy, especially when you're holding a blue t-shirt that says USA in one hand and a white t-shirt that says China in the other.

There are a few questions that I've had to answer many times since my arrival in Beijing. One of the most common questions is: "If the US plays China, who do you cheer for?" I usually respond with whoever is the underdog, just to simplify matters. But honestly, I've never really sat down and though about my answers. When the US men's basketball team played China, I really did cheer for China, since I knew that they were going to be blown out anyways. However, when the two women's volleyball teams played, I was cheering for China as well. I could just be trying to adapt, as most of the people I'm working with are Chinese, but it seems to me that I rarely ever cheer for the US team when they're facing a Chinese team head-on. To top it off, I seem to be rooting for China to win the medal count as well. So am I really a patriotic Chinese? I'm not sure if I have the answer to that.

I have always seen myself as an American. When I was younger, I would do everything I could to prove to others that I was "made in the USA". I even refused to learn mandarin because I thought that would tarnish my American image. Since being at these games, I've realized how lucky I actually am to have two countries to call my own. Not only do I get to cheer and root for twice the number of athletes, I feel a lot more diverse than everyone else. I can't be disappointed either way if the US and China go head to head, my favorite team is going to win either way.

I walked out of that Nike store with a white t-shirt that had CHINA inked onto the front. Sure I hold a USA passport, but does that even matter?

Tickets Tickets Tickets!

If you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of a basketball nut. I love playing the sport, I love watching the sport, and I love just talking about the sport, but for all my passion for the game, I have never watched a single basketball game live. Sorry, but the Purdue men's and women's team don't count for this purpose.

Imagine my suprise when I was told a few days ago that my aunt had a ticket to the men's basketball finals on the last day of the Olympics. The story gets even sweeter as I realized that I would be able to watch both the bronze medal game and the final itself. If for whatever freak reason the US team were to lose in the semifinals, I would still be able to see them. It's three days away from those games and I can barely control my excitement. I had to ask for the last day off, switch a plane ticket and find some some extreme measures of transportation to make it to those games, but I know it will be well worth it.

Expect a post about the experience when the time comes.

Goofing off (kinda)

While we turn on the seriousness when work needs to be done, there is a lot of downtime while we're at work. We've all found creative ways to pass the time while having a few good laughs. Personally, I love the fact that we have three televisions in our office, hooked up to live feeds from all the different venues. Not only have I been able to watch some intense volleyball matches (mainly the Chinese teams going into fifth-set games), but I was also able to watch some very exciting basketball games on TV as well.

The venue offers a lot of entertainment, provided you spend a little time and effort to go look for it. One form of entertainment is trying on Fuwa heads. They're quite bulky, and you really do look absolutely ridiculous.

Home stretch (part duex)

My previous post listed the things I've been yearning for, and this post will compliment that by talking about the things I will miss most when I leave Beijing.

The Olympic experience

I don't think I really need to explain why this is the first thing on my mind, but I will talk about what makes this trip so special. When I go to work everyday, I look around and I see thousands of people crowding around. Many times I see a sea of blue Adidas volunteer uniforms and I recognize that I'm part of something that only happens every four years. It still hasn't hit me, but I am starting to come to the realization that I've talked to athletes that some people would die to just see in person. It's completely insane, and I can't wait to get the opportunity to sit back and just immerse myself in thought as to how crazy everything has been.

The prices of things

I usually always miss the prices of stuff in China everytime I have to fly back to the States. While I have splurged a bit on some items, I realized that I've spent less here in my two months then what I would usually spend in the States, even being conservative and all.

The people I've met and worked with

They weren't joking when they told us that if we didn't work as a team, our time here as FQRs would be very difficult. Every person is important, and everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. My colleagues have been instrumental in making things happen when I'm in a tough spot, and hopefully I've done the same for them. I would like to say thanks to my manager Joy (Zhang Jia Ning) for allowing me to not only learn about what it takes to work in a high pressure environment but to make our time as enjoyable as possible.

Home stretch

As my time in Beijing as a volunteer is winding down, I've started to think about what I miss most from home, and what I will most from my stay in Beijing. It's interesting to see how the most mundane things become so important when you aren't able to have them everyday.

Here's the list for things I miss most about home.

Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden (especially Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo)

I miss the good 'ol extra large portions of American food. When you've taken a bite out of a twelve ounce medium rare filet mignon, a bowl of white rice and some bok-choy just does not compare at all.

Midnight trips to Walmart/McDonalds/IHOP, being able to drive to places whenever you want

Having your own car, and being able to control where you want to go whenever you want is such a luxury. Sans the almost impossible Beijing traffic, the size of the city makes it extremely difficult to satisfy needs on a whim.

Watching movies when they first come out

No complaints about less than a dollar DVDs, but I miss the aspect of standing in line waiting for the premiere of a movie. Ironman, Transformers and Harold and Kumar come into mind, but I've been suffering as I haven't been able to lay my eyes on this year's summer hit; The Dark Knight.

Uncensored internet

I didn't think this would affect me as much as it did, because I had lived in China before. While I can understand blocking porn and some other questionable material, when I can't read a friend's blog, or *gasp* get on Facebook it does tend to irk you.